Miniature Faux Stained Glass Lantern Tutorial

Morning!  So I began, and have since finished, my vintage radio repurpose project.  This post shows the lantern that I made from card stock, plastic, washable markers, string and scrap chain along with a light kit from Model Train Software.

I initially browsed the internet for inspiration for my lantern and came up with this picture on Google.  I really liked it and it seemed do-able so I tried my hand at it... miniature sized.  Seems easy enough right?!?!

I cut out trapezoids from black card stock and cut out the center where my "stained glass" panels would go.  Then cut out pieces from plastic packaging from a Swiffer refill pack.  I drew the design with a fine tip Sharpie marker.  I then colored the areas in, one at a time, and used Mod Podge over each colored layer to fill it in.  The washable marker smears when the glue goes on like old stained glass and sometimes even bubbles up.  I let the glue dry between coats.  Usually I use several coats on stained glass but these only took one or two.

I cut the "glass" down to fit each panel and glued the in with my favorite wood glue.  For some reason the plastic doesn't stick very well so I used my Mod Podge on top of the edges of plastic when they dried.  I have had to go back and glue thin strips of paper to help them adhere better.

I cut long thin strips of card stock and sprayed several coats of fabric starch letting the dry in between.  This seems to have helped the pieces hold their shape when I started curling them.  I used a toothpick to curl the "wrought iron" pieces.

I made smaller curly pieces and glued them together while also gluing the light panels together.  At this point there was only hope that this would all come together.

This step was a bit unexpected.  I hadn't imagined how the lamp was to hang at this point but when I held my light in once the panels were all glued together I had some gaps between the panels.  I dug out some trusty DMC floss (used for cross stitch) and glued pieces inside all of the panel folds or where they come together.  The long pieces coming out of the top just seemed to form the base of my hanging straps so I used a piece of rolled up card stock (tube shaped left from my tea kettle tutorial) and glued the strings to it.  That way my electric wires had something to go through for hanging.

I then began to glue on my curly pieces from the outside of the lantern to the card stock tube that the strings are glued to.  It's getting pretty fancy at this point.

I didn't take pictures of the placing of the light inside or my threading it through the pieces of chain and through a half bead.  I guess it took two hands.  But once that was done I poked a hole in a piece of card stock and glued the wires on the top side of it.  This is the piece that will be mounted on the ceiling that you won't notice because you are staring at the beautiful lamp... right?!?! :)

And here is the chain and half "bead".

I had extra curlies so I glued some to a small card stock tube left over and glued it to the bottom of the lantern.  I think it needed it.

And this is the finished lantern hung inside the radio.

I love how the colors of the panels really show through the light onto the inside of the radio.

And Taa-Daa!  Finished light.  If you look to closely you can see every imperfection and it looks sloppy but that's the beauty of it.  Because when you back up and look at the entire finished project the imperfections disappear.

Miniature Book Tutorial

Good morning all!! Today I am sharing how I make books for my dollhouse projects.  A lot of people make really realistic looking books with specific jackets that seriously look like miniature versions of life-sized books.  And while these are great and awesome, it's not really my style.  I've tried to make them like that and have never been truly happy with the results of what I made.  So... I came up with my own simple book making version.  Although I am sure I am not the only one who does it this way.

I plagued myself some years ago by acquiring a packet of legal sized paper for my printer.  I say "plagued myself" because how often do you truly need legal sized paper.  Since then I won't allow myself to buy regular sized copy paper until this batch is gone.  Yet somehow each time I get out a little bit of paper to use the pack seems to have grown.  So it forces me to print regular sized documents on legal sized paper.  When I'm done I always snip off the three-ish inches left at the bottom of the page... and you know I just can't seem to throw this slack away.  So I use it for various projects when I need it, such as making tiny books!  :)  Here's how I do it...

I simply water down some paint.  Usually browns, tans and I sometimes add a bit of yellow.  I brush it onto both sides of the paper and place them on cooling racks in my kitchen to let them dry.  They naturally tend to curl up a bit.  Once they dry I get out my paper slicer and slice them into strips.  Then I stack them together and cut the strips into lengths of about an inch or whatever size I feel like making the books.  I then stack a wad of the cut pieces, straighten them up and trim if necessary.  I will take a skinnier strip of paper for binding and use my handy wood glue on the straight end and glue the binding strip to the stack.  I let that dry by clamping with a clothespin and leaving it alone.  Then I trim the binding.  And there are your book pages.  

You can cover them however you wish.  My favorite way to cover my books is with fabric.  Especially vintage fabric with tiny prints!  I recently acquired a new (to me) batch of old fabric at a local quilting store.  Quilting stores always have cheap scraps and for miniatures scraps is all you need.  I cut a piece and glue it on to the outside of my book pages then trim the edges.  And then I am left with the prettiest little books!  You can also add binding labels or labels to stick on the front or whatever you wish!  Here are one thousand pictures of how I do it :)

Ahhhhh... a picture of my messy work station with a handy bowl of paint water left over.

Seriously, the equivalent here is about six to eight books from two 4 x 8 pieces of leftover paper. 

This fabric stash is seriously dreamy.  

Miniature Tea Kettle Tutorial

Good morning!  While I don't so much like being awake during the night with my mind racing, I don't mind so much when I have an idea on a mini!  I recently tiny wooden bowls at Hobby Lobby in the woodworking section.  They are super easily painted for any bowl needing situation.  I have to admit that I am not the best clay bowl maker... at all.  So these were a joy for me to stumble across.  My "middle of the night" idea was to turn one of the little bowls over and make a tea kettle for my new stove.  :)  I was pleasantly surprised yesterday that my idea worked great!  Here's how I made them.

Back to the vintage buttons that I love so much!  I got REALLY lucky when I found the old raised rhinestone button for the copper kettle!  I also found a green domed button that I used pliers to break the back off of.  For the vine kettle I used a regular button and a flat topped button glued on upside down.

I also used cardstock.  A long piece for the handle and a piece to roll up for the spout along with the wooden bowls and Elmers wood glue.

I rolled the spout piece of cardstock around a toothpick and placed a little glue inside the roll to hold the shape.  Allow to dry and snip the excess. When the glue has dried, snip the spout at an angle on one end so it will fit snug on the kettle.

Roll one end of the long skinny piece into a curly Q and pull the rest of it over a paint brush handle or pencil to round.

Glue the buttons on the bottom of the bowls and snipped spouts.

Glue one end of the handle at a time and allow to dry somewhat before you glue the other end.

So cute already!  Once the glue is secure, paint as you wish with a teeny brush.  You always have the option of painting your pieces before hand.  I wasn't sure it I would paint the whole thing or not so I waited til the end.

The copper one is my favorite... I think :)